Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to microwave backhaul architecture, and more specifically to a microwave backhaul system having quadruple capacity.
Introduction
Conventional microwave backhaul architectures are generally implemented as either a split outdoor unit (split ODU) configuration or an all outdoor unit (all ODU) configuration. Conventional split ODU configurations are generally comprised of both an indoor unit (IDU) and an outdoor unit (ODU), where the IDU and the ODU are connected over a single channel coaxial interconnect. The IDU in a conventional split ODU configuration typically includes a modem, a digital-to-analog converter and a baseband-to-intermediate frequency converter. Under normal operation, these conventional split ODU configurations generally involve transmitting an analog signal, at an intermediate frequency, over the single channel coaxial interconnect between the IDU and the ODU.
The typical single channel coaxial interconnect used to transmit the analog signal between the IDU and ODU has a number of limitations itself. For example, the coaxial interconnect can be relatively expensive to implement, can have a limited bandwidth, and can experience signal loses under certain conditions. Mobile backhaul providers are experiencing a growing demand for increased capacity as well as a shift from voice services to data services. These factors are driving mobile backhaul networks towards high capacity IP/Ethernet connections. Additionally, the transition to 4G and LTE networks is also driving the need for higher capacity, and moving more packet traffic onto mobile backhaul networks. As a result, the limitations of conventional single channel coaxial interconnects make it increasingly difficult to meet these increasing user demands.